Political activist and youth leader, Usman Okai-Austin, has berated late former President Muhammadu Buhari, ex-Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, and former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, accusing them of failing to address the problems that have kept the North underdeveloped despite their years in power.
Okai-Austin, who was the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate for Dekina/Bassa Federal Constituency in the 2023 elections, said the leaders wasted the region’s opportunity to transform the lives of ordinary northerners.
“People like El-Rufai, Babachir Lawal, and Malami were in power. Malami was as powerful as the president for eight years. What did they do? Now they are crying marginalisation,” he said.
‘Jonathan Did More for the North’
Contrasting their performance, Okai-Austin praised former President Goodluck Jonathan, who, despite being from the South-South, initiated projects that directly impacted northern children.
“Jonathan was a Christian from Bayelsa, but he introduced a programme that directly addressed unemployment and the out-of-school children in the North,” he said.
“Jonathan introduced what we called the modern Almajiri school system in the North. 157 Almajiri schools were established during his administration.”
The activist lamented that Buhari’s administration allowed the schools to collapse.
“When Buhari came, those schools were destroyed. Can anybody be more northern than Buhari? A Muslim from Katsina, and a former military president. Yet, what did he do for the North?” he asked.
‘North Wants Development, Not Empty Power’
Okai-Austin insisted that holding political power had become meaningless without development.
“The North wants development, not empty political power. What is the use of political power when you don’t alleviate the poverty of your people? Do we have good hospitals in the North today? Do we have well-planned schools for our children?” he queried.
He argued that northern leaders had failed to tackle poverty, insecurity, and the growing number of out-of-school children despite holding power for many years.
The activist dismissed the narrative of political marginalisation being pushed by some northern politicians, insisting that the truly marginalised were ordinary people left behind by bad governance.
According to him, they include:
- Unemployed youths without opportunities,
- Women denied access to healthcare,
- Farmers unable to access their farms due to insecurity,
- Children left on the streets instead of being in classrooms.
Okai-Austin said it was time for a new generation of northern leaders to emerge, warning that the old guard had failed.
“The younger generation of the North should take over leadership. Those who have been in power have failed. They only use the North as a bargaining chip for their personal interest,” he insisted.
The post 2027: North Does Not Need Power, Buhari, El-Rufai, Babachir Failed The Region – Okai-Austin appeared first on Naija News.
